This invention relates to protective helmets used in industry, the armed forces, and as used as crash helmets, equestrian helmets, climbing helmets and like helmets where it is desirable to provide a protective barrier between the head of a wearer and any means whereby the head of the wearer may be injured, and is particularly concerned with a novel manufacturing method therefor.
It is known to provide a protective helmet having a shell made from metal or made from synthetic resin materials and having fixed or otherwise fastened within the interior of the shell either a sling or harness of webbing or other material fastened to the lower edge portion of the shell, the dimensions and arrangement of the webbing being such that when the webbing is in contact with the head of a wearer there is provided a clearance between the shell and said head; or, the interior of the shell may be provided with protective padding fixed or secured in some manner to the shell, the padding being arranged to bear against the head of a wearer.
It is further known that the most vunerable parts of the human head are the flat portions immediately above and about the ear. It is also known that many impacts whether to vehicle users, sportsmen or industrial users, occur in and about this area. Hitherto protection of these areas has not been satisfactorily achieved.
In protective helmets generally, the protection provided terminates at the "headband" line, that is on a line passing approximately medially through the temporal and occipital areas of the skull, and if any further covering is provided and does extend downwardly below the headband line in an attempt to cover more adequately the beforementioned areas then this covering is found weak when compared with the strength of the dome structure of the helmet.